This invention relates to a bird shelter and more particularly to a Wood Duck nest house.
This art is aware of a variety of bird houses, however such constructions have not proven suitable for large birds, and more particularly the North American Wood Duck, sometimes known as the Tree Duck. Commercial hunting for their plummage, as well as sports hunting for their meat, combined with loss of habitat, have substantially reduced the numbers of these birds, and nearly eliminated this species in some areas of North America, particularly the United States. Its natural nesting site is in the cavities of trees. Since the late 1930's, duck houses of various shapes, sizes and materials have been used in an attempt to increase the number of this species. Such attempts have met a variable degree of success, depending upon the attractiveness to the female seeking a nest site, as Well as predator proofness, duckling escape provisions, durability, cost, site selection, and thermal insulation properties.
Previous duck houses for this particular species of duck have included home made versions, fashioned from wood or metal, generally about two to two and one-half feet long with an elliptical opening in the top in the range of three to four inches major diameter dimension.
Other past constructions are included the Tubbs house, which is rotationally molded and which has a single wall fashioned from plastic. This construction includes a hardware cloth escape ladder with top and bottom halves which are screwed together. This construction has been found somewhat difficult to clean, difficult to mount and rather expensive.
Still other past constructions have included a two piece unit for mounting on pipes only. This has been marketed by Waterfowl Limited of South Carolina, and is also characterized as a single wall and hardware cloth escape ladder construction.